The Knee Bone's Connected To ...
tsb

Such a face! Daddy Bones@ age 12, gracing the book's cover.

 

 How to Keep Your Sanity Intact When a Loved One Needs a Nursing Home  

It’s estimated that more than 50 million people provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year.

Studies show that extremely stressed caregivers can age or die prematurely. 

“Bette Davis said ‘old age is no place for sissies,’ but caring for an older loved one isn’t for the feint of heart, either,” says Bones. “I loved my dad and we were very close, but the strain of ‘putting’ him in a nursing home was so overwhelming for all of us that I felt like I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.”

Becoming aware of some of the don’ts” of long-term care can make daily life easier for nursing home residents and for their family caretakers,” she notes.

Bones offers some key examples from her Nursing Home Checklist:

· Ask clergy, family, and friends - especially those in the health care field - to recommend outstanding nursing homes.

· When touring a nursing home, ask other visitors for frank feedback about the facility. Don’t just inspect the “sample” room, look into residents’ rooms to check for cleanliness.

· Assure your loved one that you will be their ongoing advocate.

· Visit your loved one often and at varying times of the day - and night. This alerts all of the caregivers that you are keeping an eye on your loved one.

· Get to know the staff, especially your loved one’s immediate caregivers.

· Thank the employees for the thankless job that they do.

· Put your loved one’s name on all their belongings, including clothes and personal products. Never leave money or valuables in their room.

· Place a quilt, photos and other small touches to create a “homey” room.

· Put a brief bio and picture of your loved one at the entrance of their room to “introduce” them to staff and visitors.

. Bring old photos when you visit your loved one - it will give you something to look at if conversation lags.

. Bring different edible treats to spice-up the resident's menu.

 

 


 

 

Powered by Squarespace
« I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Herself a Letter | Main | I (USED TO) LOVE A PARADE »
Wednesday
Oct032018

A Letter to The Whole Damn World...

Dear World,

            Please accept my sincerest apologies regarding Donald J. Trump, “President” of the United States.

            I know I don’t speak for everyone in America – for example, the individuals who stand behind Donald in those Klan meetings… uh, I mean, Trump rallies…  definitely do not share my views, nor my outstandingly chic fashion sense – but nevertheless, I simply must express myself.

            Why? Because, every day, when the latest Trumponian faux pas hits the news, I wonder what the rest of the world is thinking about America.

Do they look at their TV screen, dumbfounded, and repeat the phrase “Oh, how the mighty have fallen” in their native tongue?

             Probably.

I can relate. While I am not a Constitutional scholar nor a political junkie, I have been around the block enough times to trust my gut instincts about people.

I get that from my Mother, a woman of strong opinions and few words. For example, if she thought an actor wasn’t the greatest, she’d sum up his theatrical skills with this succinct but powerful review: “He STINKS!”

              Indeed, if the late great Mommy Bones were around to witness the boorish behavior of DJT, I just know she’d sum up his presidency thusly: “He’s an IDIOT.”

              Oh, the conversations we could have…

              But back to you, world.

               I felt compelled to assure you that many of us in this country cringe every time we absorb the latest presidential headlines. From mocking sexual assault survivors to dismissing female journalists to holding a pity party for young men who are living in “scary times,” whole bunches of American citizens can scarcely believe how inappropriate one human being can be in a single day.

              Thankfully, in this great country of ours, we are free to voice our opinions, so I won’t be incarcerated for letting you know that lotsa folks have a shit fit every time our “leader” opens his big, artificially-tanned pie hole. (Really, who is his makeup person? He or she should definitely hear the infamous words, “YOU’RE FIRED!”)

            In conclusion, world, this is just a quick note to assure you that I am not responsible for/in support of ANYTHING that Trump says or does.

            True, there are still many in our country who actually still applaud Trump. And, in a stroke of marketing genius, you'll notice several dozen of them squished into a pulsating pep squad during his speeches to create the illusion that all of ‘Merica adores him.  

            But as for the rest of us, we have had it up to our eyelashes with this guy.

            And we feel this way, to summarize the immortal words of Mommy Bones, because he’s an idiot.

            Thanks for understanding. In these excruciating times, it means the world to me.

                                                                                                                        Yours Truly,

                                                                                                                         Diane

PrintView Printer Friendly Version

EmailEmail Article to Friend

Reader Comments

There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>